SORRY!!!! I know I said I would update on a week.... and that was two weeks
ago.... I'm terribly sorry!!! I really had lots of work and didn't had
time.
But... it's late on Sunday's night and I'm writing this and I finally finished this chapter.
I must be honest, this chapter was difficult to write... but I think it is all right.
Anyway... I want to thank everyone that has reviewed. Really, your comments make me want to write all the time.
On the other hand... I think there's a confusion about the ages of the characters...but here it is:
Fuu, Umi, Hikaru, Ascot = 18
Ferio= 20
Lantis = 22
Well, I don't own Rayearth...just this story.
Enjoy!
The Quest
Chapter Six: PRACTICE
A man in black armor and short black hair walked through the corridor of a large house. The sun entered through the windows and the birds' singing could be heard. The man stopped and looked at the birds. He smiled and rested his body on the wall. He watched the birds for couple of minutes and then closed his eyes. the birds made him remember her. Free and always so happy. He'd never met someone like her. Her bright red eyes appeared in his memory. Remembering her made him forget all the problems he had. Remembering every time he had spent with her.
"Lantis! Lantis!" Hikaru ran toward him holding something on her arms. She had a very worried expression on her face. Lantis kneeled and watched what she was holding. It was an animal. It was seriously wounded.
"Lets help him, please." She said tears starting to gather in her eyes. Lantis took the small animal on his hands. They were very far away from the town. Hikaru looked at the small creature, it was a baby and had its neck injured. Its breathing was heavy. She had covered the wound with a part of her sleeve but that wasn't enough. Lantis stood up. He couldn't stand seeing her like that.
"Hikaru, I'll go to the vet on town. I'll ride my horse as fast as I can. Please catch us there." He said while mounting his black horse.
"I'll go with you!" she said going after him. He looked down and smiled at her.
"The horse won't go so fast, please catch us there. I promise you, it'll be fine." And with that his horse got lost into the woods.
Two hours later, Hikaru reached the vet and entered to find Lantis sitting on a hair. She approached carefully at him. Lantis looked at her and stood up. Hikaru was about to ask him what had happened but he talked first.
"It's going to be all right." Hikaru's face lighted up with happiness and she threw herself into his arms. Tears of happiness flowing on her cheeks.
"Thank you Lantis. Thank you very much!" she said hugging him with all of her strength. Lantis couldn't feel better.
The memories of her were something that her cherished very much. He couldn't understand at first how she could worry about a creature she just found. It was all because her heart. He thought smiling.
"She is in serious danger." A male voice said. Lantis opened his eyes and looked at the man in front of him.
"What do you mean, Zagato." He said looking seriously at him.
"I'm talking about that girl, the one that's been with you."
Lantis looked at his brother.
"How do you know about her?"
Zagato smiled and stared to walk away.
"I'm just warning you. You should keep an eye on her. Alcyone has some issues with her."
"Alcyone." Lantis watched his older brother go. 'What has Alcyone to do with Hikaru?' he thought walking to the other way.
Fuu watched Ferio practice. They were on the woods waiting for Hikaru and Ascot. Hikaru went to find his friend and Ascot was searching for news about Fuu and Ferio's reward. Ascot lent a sword to Ferio. He said he needed some practice if they were going to save Umi. Fuu stayed and watched him. She was holding a sleeping Mokona on her arms. Fuu really wondered what kind of creature it was. It really disturbed her not to know it. She had studied a lot. And she enjoyed doing so, finding out what kind of creature Mokona was, was really something like a hobby. Ferio fought an invisible foe. He jumped and swung the sword every now and then. Fuu thought he was really good at the sword. For a bard, he was really good at it. Fuu thought that she really knew very little about him. He had just said that he was a bard, and that he got into prison because he was betrayed by a friend. Fuu looked at him. She wondered how in the world he got those scars. He hadn't spoke about his family but neither she had. All that they knew about each other were the things that had to be said. She found out that she didn't mind. She trusted him. Ferio stopped practicing and approached her.
"So, you know how to use this." He said pointing at the sword. She smiled and nodded.
"You would expect that from a soldier, right."
He smiled and gave her a large branch.
"How about some practice. You and me. Lets see who's the best."
She took the branch.
"I'm not sure." She said looking at Ferio. He smiled at her.
"It's like a favor. You'll help me a lot."
Fuu smiled and nodded. Ferio took his position while she took hers.
"No magic okay. You'll destroy me before I can even reach you."
"No magic." She said.
Ferio was the first to attack. She stopped the first blow and the second one. He jumped back.
"Good defense." He said preparing again to attack. He jumped toward her. She jumped backwards evading his attack. She tried to attack him but he jumped back. He tried to disarm her but he couldn't. She was too fast. Ferio tried to jump and get away from her but she jumped too and hit his branch. She disarmed him and put her "sword" near his neck.
"I believe I won this fight." She said smiling at him. He smiled back.
"Oh, you think so." He said jumping backwards and kicking her branch of her hand. She tried to get it but he was fast enough to stop her form doing it. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. she looked up.
"It's not fair. You didn't use your sword." She said trying to pull back, but he wouldn't let her. He smiled and got closer to her.
"I'm a bard, not a soldier that keeps his word." He said smiling at him. She felt his breath too close. She blushed and again tried to pull back. Ferio smiled and let her go.
"Even if you are a bard, you should keep your mans word." She said cleaning her dress. Ferio looked at her and smiled sitting on the ground.
"Is that really important?"
Fuu looked at him. "Well. It's important if you want people to trust you. How am I supposed to believe you'll help me if you don't sustain your word?" She said resting her body on a tree. He looked up at her.
"You can make people trust you in other ways."
She nodded. Ferio watched her. She had beaten him on a sword fight. He smiled, when he saw her the first time on prison he thought of her of a very fragile girl, completely inoffensive. Now he decided she could take care of herself, but there was something. Something that made him want to protect her. There was a weakness in her, and he needed to take care of her. He'd never wanted to protect someone for a very long time. Ferio decided that Fuu was different than the rest of the people of the whole world. He stood up and got near her.
"I give you my word that I will protect you no matter what."
Neither of them noticed the shadow beneath them. It saw the couple with Mokona and smiling it disappeared.
"I've found them"
Hikaru entered the small house in the outskirts of the town. She entered happily hopping into the kitchen.
"Lantis! I'm here!" she said placing a basket with fruit in the table. Lantis appeared from the door. He smiled at the girl. She looked at him and ran to hug him.
"Lantis! I'm so happy to see you!" "I'm happy to see you too. I was worried about you." He said kneeling in front of her. She looked with a confused face.
"Worried? Why?"
"Zagato said you should be careful."
"Zagato?"
"It must have to do with Mokona. He said that Alcyone has some issues with you."
"Oh. She must be angry because I got Mokona back." She said looking at him, then she put an angry face.
"But it was all her fault, she kidnapped Mokona in the first place!"
Lantis smiled at her and nodded. She was right. However this bothered him. specially the fact that Zagato had warned him.
"Don't worry Lantis. I defeated Alcyone with no trouble at all. I'll be fine"
Lantis frowned. He knew Alcyone could be very vengeful.
"I know you are very powerful Hikaru. But she must know now that you have magic and that you are not registered."
"My older brother told me not to get registered. You also told me that it was the wisest thing to do."
"Yes. But now she'll do anything to get you in jail." She smiled and hugged him.
"Don't worry about me Lantis. I promise I'll be fine." She said giving him a huge smile.
"Lantis. I wanted to ask you a favor."
"Anything." He said standing up looking at the window. She looked at the windows and at the door. She spoke very quietly. "I need to rescue the princess form Kiam."
Lantis looked at her puzzled.
"Why do you want to do that?"
"I...I found some new friends. Ascot, found them actually. Anyway...she is a sorceress form Kiam." Lantis looked at her.
"The one that escaped?"
She nodded. Lantis looked at her sternly.
"Hikaru, I'm against this war, but she is still the enemy, she can hurt you or use you..."
"No! She's a very nice person. She doesn't like the war either. She just wants to rescue princess Umi. They're friends. Almost...sisters." she said looking pleadingly at him.
Lantis looked at Hikaru. He knew she could be very naive sometimes.
"...I'll meet her. Then we'll decide what to do."
Hikaru jumped and hugged her.
"Thank you for giving her this chance!"
Zagato knocked at the door. It was a pretty simple house in a silent street of the capital city of Forania. A gentle female voice answered.
"It's me." He said.
The door opened revealing a beautiful woman. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. She smiled at him, kissed him on the lips and let him in.
"Zagato. Finally, it's been a while." She said closing the door. The man sat on a sofa in the living room.
"I'm sorry. I just have to much work, specially with the war."
The woman looked sadly at him.
"You're still supporting that stupid war."
Zagato nodded. The woman sat down and sighed.
"I hate wars." She said.
"Specially this one."
Zagato looked at her and then at the paper he held.
"King Stephen wants to found the secret place."
The woman gasped and looked surprised at the man before her.
"Cefiro?" she said.
Zagato nodded.
"Emeraude, I know you know how to get there." He said standing up.
She looked away. And said nothing.
"I need you to get out of this place." He said.
"Why?" she asked.
"Alcyone already found the creature Mokona. If she gets it, it'll lead them right to you."
Emeraude looked at him.
"Mokona. It's been found." She said not believing his words.
"Yes. That's why you need to get out of here."
Zagato got near her and hugged her. She hugged him back putting her head on his chest.
"Where should I go?"
Zagato got away from her and showed her the paper he had.
"To Gornelia. I think your little brother needs some help."
Emeraude looked at the paper. They were offering a reward for the two persons that escaped the prison. She looked at the name on it and gasped.
"Ferio."
Ascot got entered his house. He found Fuu reading anf Ferio sleeping. He smiled as Fuu said hello.
"He enjoys sleeping eh?" he said looking at a very pleased Ferio. Fuu smiled and nodded.
"He says that's one of his favorite things to do." She said closing the book and helping Ascot with the things he carried.
Ascot smiled.
"You two seem very close."
Fuu blushed.
"We barely know each other."
"Does that really matter?" he asked putting the last things on the table.
Fuu said nothing. Actually, she agreed with Ascot. He smiled and sat back on the chair.
"You bought some food?" she said looking at all the things Ascot got.
"Yeah. Well....um.. I thought that maybe we'll need food for the journey. I mean, Gornelia isn't far from the capital but still..."
"I totally agree with you Ascot-san. It's better to be prepared for anything."
Ascot smiled and sat down on a chair too.
"Any news about our reward?" she asked.
"The same. But I think that with the princess stuff they'll forget about it for a while."
"I hope so."
Suddenly the door opened and Hikaru entered with a very tall man. Fuu looked at him and at his armor. She stood up. Ferio woke up too.
"This is Fuu-chan!" said Hikaru.
"Fuu-chan, this is Lantis."
Fuu vow. Ferio stood up and got close to Fuu. Lantis vowed too.
"Nice to meet you." He said.
"I'm Ferio."
Lantis looked at Ferio and vowed at him too. Then he said hello to Ascot, who offered him a chair. Lantis sat down and looked at Fuu then at Ferio.
"There's a reward on your heads."
"We know." Said Ferio.
Lantis looked at Fuu.
"Why do you want to rescue the princess? And, what are you going to do when you get her?" he asked the blonde.
Fuu looked at him.
"Umi-san is like a sister to me. But more important, she is involve in this because of me. She must have gone to the battlefield to find me. I was captured....she must have thought that she could save me. What are we going to do after we rescue her?"
Fuu thought for some seconds, then looked at Lantis and smiled.
"I really don't know...But, I promise you, Lantis-san, that I don't want to have anything to do with the war."
"Your country thinks the opposite." He said. She smiled. "Yes, unfortunately that's true."
Lantis got quiet. Hikaru looked at him expectantly.
"It'll be difficult. But there's a way." He finally said.
Fuu looked surprised at him and vow in thanks. Ferio thanked him too. Ascot seemed to knew all the time he'd agree and Hikaru jumped with happiness on his lap. Even Mokona jumped happily.
"That's high treason, Lantis." A female voice spoke from behind.
Everyone looked at the person behind them. A woman with dark black hair and a staff was looking smiing at them.
"It's over." She said.
That's it...
Hehehe... I think this is getting exiting. I hope you think the same.. anyway.. I swear I'll do my best and update next week... or maybe through this week... it depends on how many work I got....
Hope you enjoyed it!!!
Take care
Kaze
But... it's late on Sunday's night and I'm writing this and I finally finished this chapter.
I must be honest, this chapter was difficult to write... but I think it is all right.
Anyway... I want to thank everyone that has reviewed. Really, your comments make me want to write all the time.
On the other hand... I think there's a confusion about the ages of the characters...but here it is:
Fuu, Umi, Hikaru, Ascot = 18
Ferio= 20
Lantis = 22
Well, I don't own Rayearth...just this story.
Enjoy!
The Quest
Chapter Six: PRACTICE
A man in black armor and short black hair walked through the corridor of a large house. The sun entered through the windows and the birds' singing could be heard. The man stopped and looked at the birds. He smiled and rested his body on the wall. He watched the birds for couple of minutes and then closed his eyes. the birds made him remember her. Free and always so happy. He'd never met someone like her. Her bright red eyes appeared in his memory. Remembering her made him forget all the problems he had. Remembering every time he had spent with her.
"Lantis! Lantis!" Hikaru ran toward him holding something on her arms. She had a very worried expression on her face. Lantis kneeled and watched what she was holding. It was an animal. It was seriously wounded.
"Lets help him, please." She said tears starting to gather in her eyes. Lantis took the small animal on his hands. They were very far away from the town. Hikaru looked at the small creature, it was a baby and had its neck injured. Its breathing was heavy. She had covered the wound with a part of her sleeve but that wasn't enough. Lantis stood up. He couldn't stand seeing her like that.
"Hikaru, I'll go to the vet on town. I'll ride my horse as fast as I can. Please catch us there." He said while mounting his black horse.
"I'll go with you!" she said going after him. He looked down and smiled at her.
"The horse won't go so fast, please catch us there. I promise you, it'll be fine." And with that his horse got lost into the woods.
Two hours later, Hikaru reached the vet and entered to find Lantis sitting on a hair. She approached carefully at him. Lantis looked at her and stood up. Hikaru was about to ask him what had happened but he talked first.
"It's going to be all right." Hikaru's face lighted up with happiness and she threw herself into his arms. Tears of happiness flowing on her cheeks.
"Thank you Lantis. Thank you very much!" she said hugging him with all of her strength. Lantis couldn't feel better.
The memories of her were something that her cherished very much. He couldn't understand at first how she could worry about a creature she just found. It was all because her heart. He thought smiling.
"She is in serious danger." A male voice said. Lantis opened his eyes and looked at the man in front of him.
"What do you mean, Zagato." He said looking seriously at him.
"I'm talking about that girl, the one that's been with you."
Lantis looked at his brother.
"How do you know about her?"
Zagato smiled and stared to walk away.
"I'm just warning you. You should keep an eye on her. Alcyone has some issues with her."
"Alcyone." Lantis watched his older brother go. 'What has Alcyone to do with Hikaru?' he thought walking to the other way.
Fuu watched Ferio practice. They were on the woods waiting for Hikaru and Ascot. Hikaru went to find his friend and Ascot was searching for news about Fuu and Ferio's reward. Ascot lent a sword to Ferio. He said he needed some practice if they were going to save Umi. Fuu stayed and watched him. She was holding a sleeping Mokona on her arms. Fuu really wondered what kind of creature it was. It really disturbed her not to know it. She had studied a lot. And she enjoyed doing so, finding out what kind of creature Mokona was, was really something like a hobby. Ferio fought an invisible foe. He jumped and swung the sword every now and then. Fuu thought he was really good at the sword. For a bard, he was really good at it. Fuu thought that she really knew very little about him. He had just said that he was a bard, and that he got into prison because he was betrayed by a friend. Fuu looked at him. She wondered how in the world he got those scars. He hadn't spoke about his family but neither she had. All that they knew about each other were the things that had to be said. She found out that she didn't mind. She trusted him. Ferio stopped practicing and approached her.
"So, you know how to use this." He said pointing at the sword. She smiled and nodded.
"You would expect that from a soldier, right."
He smiled and gave her a large branch.
"How about some practice. You and me. Lets see who's the best."
She took the branch.
"I'm not sure." She said looking at Ferio. He smiled at her.
"It's like a favor. You'll help me a lot."
Fuu smiled and nodded. Ferio took his position while she took hers.
"No magic okay. You'll destroy me before I can even reach you."
"No magic." She said.
Ferio was the first to attack. She stopped the first blow and the second one. He jumped back.
"Good defense." He said preparing again to attack. He jumped toward her. She jumped backwards evading his attack. She tried to attack him but he jumped back. He tried to disarm her but he couldn't. She was too fast. Ferio tried to jump and get away from her but she jumped too and hit his branch. She disarmed him and put her "sword" near his neck.
"I believe I won this fight." She said smiling at him. He smiled back.
"Oh, you think so." He said jumping backwards and kicking her branch of her hand. She tried to get it but he was fast enough to stop her form doing it. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. she looked up.
"It's not fair. You didn't use your sword." She said trying to pull back, but he wouldn't let her. He smiled and got closer to her.
"I'm a bard, not a soldier that keeps his word." He said smiling at him. She felt his breath too close. She blushed and again tried to pull back. Ferio smiled and let her go.
"Even if you are a bard, you should keep your mans word." She said cleaning her dress. Ferio looked at her and smiled sitting on the ground.
"Is that really important?"
Fuu looked at him. "Well. It's important if you want people to trust you. How am I supposed to believe you'll help me if you don't sustain your word?" She said resting her body on a tree. He looked up at her.
"You can make people trust you in other ways."
She nodded. Ferio watched her. She had beaten him on a sword fight. He smiled, when he saw her the first time on prison he thought of her of a very fragile girl, completely inoffensive. Now he decided she could take care of herself, but there was something. Something that made him want to protect her. There was a weakness in her, and he needed to take care of her. He'd never wanted to protect someone for a very long time. Ferio decided that Fuu was different than the rest of the people of the whole world. He stood up and got near her.
"I give you my word that I will protect you no matter what."
Neither of them noticed the shadow beneath them. It saw the couple with Mokona and smiling it disappeared.
"I've found them"
Hikaru entered the small house in the outskirts of the town. She entered happily hopping into the kitchen.
"Lantis! I'm here!" she said placing a basket with fruit in the table. Lantis appeared from the door. He smiled at the girl. She looked at him and ran to hug him.
"Lantis! I'm so happy to see you!" "I'm happy to see you too. I was worried about you." He said kneeling in front of her. She looked with a confused face.
"Worried? Why?"
"Zagato said you should be careful."
"Zagato?"
"It must have to do with Mokona. He said that Alcyone has some issues with you."
"Oh. She must be angry because I got Mokona back." She said looking at him, then she put an angry face.
"But it was all her fault, she kidnapped Mokona in the first place!"
Lantis smiled at her and nodded. She was right. However this bothered him. specially the fact that Zagato had warned him.
"Don't worry Lantis. I defeated Alcyone with no trouble at all. I'll be fine"
Lantis frowned. He knew Alcyone could be very vengeful.
"I know you are very powerful Hikaru. But she must know now that you have magic and that you are not registered."
"My older brother told me not to get registered. You also told me that it was the wisest thing to do."
"Yes. But now she'll do anything to get you in jail." She smiled and hugged him.
"Don't worry about me Lantis. I promise I'll be fine." She said giving him a huge smile.
"Lantis. I wanted to ask you a favor."
"Anything." He said standing up looking at the window. She looked at the windows and at the door. She spoke very quietly. "I need to rescue the princess form Kiam."
Lantis looked at her puzzled.
"Why do you want to do that?"
"I...I found some new friends. Ascot, found them actually. Anyway...she is a sorceress form Kiam." Lantis looked at her.
"The one that escaped?"
She nodded. Lantis looked at her sternly.
"Hikaru, I'm against this war, but she is still the enemy, she can hurt you or use you..."
"No! She's a very nice person. She doesn't like the war either. She just wants to rescue princess Umi. They're friends. Almost...sisters." she said looking pleadingly at him.
Lantis looked at Hikaru. He knew she could be very naive sometimes.
"...I'll meet her. Then we'll decide what to do."
Hikaru jumped and hugged her.
"Thank you for giving her this chance!"
Zagato knocked at the door. It was a pretty simple house in a silent street of the capital city of Forania. A gentle female voice answered.
"It's me." He said.
The door opened revealing a beautiful woman. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. She smiled at him, kissed him on the lips and let him in.
"Zagato. Finally, it's been a while." She said closing the door. The man sat on a sofa in the living room.
"I'm sorry. I just have to much work, specially with the war."
The woman looked sadly at him.
"You're still supporting that stupid war."
Zagato nodded. The woman sat down and sighed.
"I hate wars." She said.
"Specially this one."
Zagato looked at her and then at the paper he held.
"King Stephen wants to found the secret place."
The woman gasped and looked surprised at the man before her.
"Cefiro?" she said.
Zagato nodded.
"Emeraude, I know you know how to get there." He said standing up.
She looked away. And said nothing.
"I need you to get out of this place." He said.
"Why?" she asked.
"Alcyone already found the creature Mokona. If she gets it, it'll lead them right to you."
Emeraude looked at him.
"Mokona. It's been found." She said not believing his words.
"Yes. That's why you need to get out of here."
Zagato got near her and hugged her. She hugged him back putting her head on his chest.
"Where should I go?"
Zagato got away from her and showed her the paper he had.
"To Gornelia. I think your little brother needs some help."
Emeraude looked at the paper. They were offering a reward for the two persons that escaped the prison. She looked at the name on it and gasped.
"Ferio."
Ascot got entered his house. He found Fuu reading anf Ferio sleeping. He smiled as Fuu said hello.
"He enjoys sleeping eh?" he said looking at a very pleased Ferio. Fuu smiled and nodded.
"He says that's one of his favorite things to do." She said closing the book and helping Ascot with the things he carried.
Ascot smiled.
"You two seem very close."
Fuu blushed.
"We barely know each other."
"Does that really matter?" he asked putting the last things on the table.
Fuu said nothing. Actually, she agreed with Ascot. He smiled and sat back on the chair.
"You bought some food?" she said looking at all the things Ascot got.
"Yeah. Well....um.. I thought that maybe we'll need food for the journey. I mean, Gornelia isn't far from the capital but still..."
"I totally agree with you Ascot-san. It's better to be prepared for anything."
Ascot smiled and sat down on a chair too.
"Any news about our reward?" she asked.
"The same. But I think that with the princess stuff they'll forget about it for a while."
"I hope so."
Suddenly the door opened and Hikaru entered with a very tall man. Fuu looked at him and at his armor. She stood up. Ferio woke up too.
"This is Fuu-chan!" said Hikaru.
"Fuu-chan, this is Lantis."
Fuu vow. Ferio stood up and got close to Fuu. Lantis vowed too.
"Nice to meet you." He said.
"I'm Ferio."
Lantis looked at Ferio and vowed at him too. Then he said hello to Ascot, who offered him a chair. Lantis sat down and looked at Fuu then at Ferio.
"There's a reward on your heads."
"We know." Said Ferio.
Lantis looked at Fuu.
"Why do you want to rescue the princess? And, what are you going to do when you get her?" he asked the blonde.
Fuu looked at him.
"Umi-san is like a sister to me. But more important, she is involve in this because of me. She must have gone to the battlefield to find me. I was captured....she must have thought that she could save me. What are we going to do after we rescue her?"
Fuu thought for some seconds, then looked at Lantis and smiled.
"I really don't know...But, I promise you, Lantis-san, that I don't want to have anything to do with the war."
"Your country thinks the opposite." He said. She smiled. "Yes, unfortunately that's true."
Lantis got quiet. Hikaru looked at him expectantly.
"It'll be difficult. But there's a way." He finally said.
Fuu looked surprised at him and vow in thanks. Ferio thanked him too. Ascot seemed to knew all the time he'd agree and Hikaru jumped with happiness on his lap. Even Mokona jumped happily.
"That's high treason, Lantis." A female voice spoke from behind.
Everyone looked at the person behind them. A woman with dark black hair and a staff was looking smiing at them.
"It's over." She said.
That's it...
Hehehe... I think this is getting exiting. I hope you think the same.. anyway.. I swear I'll do my best and update next week... or maybe through this week... it depends on how many work I got....
Hope you enjoyed it!!!
Take care
Kaze